S is for Sleeping
by Dragonflysoul
Summary: Sometimes Daniel needs help with the little things-like knowing when to rest. Written for Off-World Alphabet Soup.


Title: S is for SLEEPING

Author: dragonfly

Summary: Sometimes Daniel needs help with the little things-like knowing when to rest.

Word count: 639

Characters: Jack and Daniel

Categories: friendship, humor, team as family

Author's notes: I have a bigger fic that I had planned on posting, but the muse would not cooperate. Though this was done in haste, it was done with love.

~*~SG1~*~

The day was mid, the sun was high and it was SG1's third day on the uninhabited P3X-2-something-rather. Thus far, it was one of Jack's favorite research planets—it had a beach that went on for miles. The beach was purple, but Jack kind of liked that too.

"Carter?" Jack asked after returning with Teal'c from their very important scouting/site seeing…mission.

"Last two pots, sir," she answered without looking up from the soil samples she was happily collecting.

"That a girl." Jack walked past her into the caves where he knew he'd find Daniel. Taking off his sunglasses, he scanned the large, dark cavern. It was a drastic difference to the bright, inviting skies outside. "Daniel?"

This was supposed to be a relaxing mission. _A fun one_ , dare he say. And it was. Daniel, however, was having a hard time with the _relaxing_ part. He just didn't know when to quit. The boy could run on excitement for days.

Pocketing his glasses, Jack walked deeper into the damp hollow. Finding his friend on the other side of a large rock, he sighed at the sight of him. Daniel was sitting cross-legged in the sand, hunched over his journal and a flashlight. Periodically, he'd look up at the wall in front of him, then back down at his journal, blink, furrow his brow, then look back up at the wall again—as if it would tell him all the secrets of life if he were just patient enough…or awake enough.

Because what he was was _exhausted…_ and past the point where he realized it. Jack would bet he couldn't even see what was written on the wall or the pages at this point. It looked like the ole' caffeine-for-decaf-switch was finally taking its toll. The fact that Daniel hadn't noticed was testament enough to just how badly he needed rest.

"Daniel."

Still no reply.

He was in the zone. A big, geeky zone. Jack had depended on that zone more than once over the years. Lives have been saved thanks to it. But, there were no lives in need of saving today, no answers desperately sought.

Walking closer, Jack knelt next to him. He was mumbling quietly—trying to figure out which scribbles stood for what. The only thing Jack knew for certain was that "S" stood for "sleeping"—which was what a certain archaeologist should be doing.

Daniel absently scratched at his cheek and Jack could see his hand trembling. He reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, time for a break, fella."

The younger man unconsciously leaned into his touch, but didn't take his eyes off the wall. "I just have to fini…." He trailed off when Jack gently took his glasses and tucked them into his own pocket.

Daniel turned and blinked owlishly at him. "Jack?"

There he is. "Daniel?" Jack parroted.

"What are you doing?" He didn't notice when Jack took his journal too.

"Hitting the 'off' switch."

"Wh—?" Daniel suddenly yawned widely.

"Need I say more? _"_

The younger man stared at him blankly for a moment. When his eyelids started to droop, he asked, "Did Sam?"

"You betchya. Two pots ago."

Groaning, Daniel closed his eyes, shoulders slumping.

The corner of Jack's mouth turned up. "Come on." Standing, he pulled Daniel up with him and held on until he stopped swaying. Daniel scrubbed at his face like a sleepy toddler and Jack regarded him fondly. "If you go willingly, maybe Teal'c will tell you a bed time story," he teased lightly.

Already more asleep than not, Daniel's brow furrowed. "Not the one about the blood-sucking goats," he murmured, leaning into Jack as he slipped an arm over his shoulders.

"No? I kind of liked that one." Pulling him in closer, Jack led his friend back out into the light. "Happy ending."


End file.
